Race to Kill
by Sarah the mutant farm girl
Summary: After receiving a text message with coordinates in it from John Winchester, the foursome takes off on the trail of a new hunt. The coordinates take them to Kelsey, Virginia, a tiny town that seems to have fallen out of a story book. But they find somethin
1. Chapter 1

**Race to Kill**

**Disclaimer: Supernatural belongs to Eric Kripke. **

**A/N: If you haven't read The Boogeyman you won't understand Autumn and Athena Daemon and there relation to the Winchesters. These Supernatural fics are being written by myself and my younger sister Katie. So feedback is VERY welcome!**

**Chapter One**

November 12th , Kelsey, Virginia (thirty minutes outside of Richmond)

"Jason!"

"What?" Jason spun back around and glared at his sister.

"I saw something." the younger girl whined. Jason rolled his eyes.

"Where's the others? We're supposed to stay together. Jenny?" he'd turned around to examine the hall they were standing in and in that split second his little sister had disappeared. He tore through the hall looking for her and the others. He knew the stories about this place. The old house was supposed to be haunted, that was the whole reason the seven kids were here.

It seemed to take years to get through all the rooms. Finally he made it to the master bedroom on the second floor at the very end of the hall. It was said that a man was poisoned by his wife, so she could take up with her newly freed slave lover, in this room. He cracked open the door and found his friends and sister. He dropped to the ground screaming like a wounded animal.

November 15th, Dixie Motel, 2 hours from Richmond

Autumn pulled off her cloth gym shoes as she ran through the meadow, once not so very long ago it had been a corn field. But those days were long gone. It scared her to think about the girl she'd been. The girl who had so recklessly played in amongst the stalks. The girl who had laughed, and screamed in so many games played with her sister and the other children on the dirt road she lived on. That girl was dead now. She'd been killed in order to allow the young woman she now was to live. It hadn't been a pretty thing to witness either.

It had taken her the whole morning to find a reason to escape to her farm, with the two acre pond, fishing boat, and dock. The place that had become her heaven in the years since her parents deaths. She knew when she got their lounging on the dock, half asleep in the afternoon sun would be her boyfriend. The man who she wanted so badly to believe was the love of her life, her soul mate. She knew better though. She'd changed at college. Ideas had been planted and an old friend had been found. Her changes of self were making her relationship, that had survived the funerals of two parents, high school, and college, more than a little rocky. She came to a quick halt when she got to the mowed grass ring that surrounded the pond.

Her heart jumped and her knees went weak at the sight. Her boyfriend, the boy next door, was just as she'd predicted. His shirt wadded up under his head two fishing poles discarded poking their ends just over the lip of the boat. The dock had been submerged in water two weeks before and was just starting to really reclaim it's above water life. The hot summer sun, the light breeze, the absolute perfection of her life in this split second was beyond anything that had ever existed in her mind. But then he sat up and looked at her. His tanned face was handsome, sun bleached blond locks threatening to kidnap his crystal blue eyes, his chewed lips curved into an innocent smile.

"Hey baby." he called waving her over. She didn't need to be asked twice she made her way to him dropping her shoes on the bank.

"Hey." She wasn't sure how she could just reply with 'hey'. But he knew exactly what the one word, barely above a whisper meant. He knew it was her standing on top of the mountain and declaring her love for him. He knew it was her hiding behind a shield, forged in a fire kindled from years of hurt.

"Want to go for a dip, baby doll?" she shook her head and dropped down on the wooden boards her grandfather had placed when her father was just an infant.

"No, just want to sit here with you holding me." Billy-Jack didn't ask why. He'd known her since the unfortunate incident in kindergarten when she'd broken his nose for picking on a mentally challenged boy. All those years had seen them through more rough spots, and near misses than he could count. But there was one thing he was always sure of: when she just wanted held she was terrified. So he wrapped his arms, sculpted and shaped from years of farm labor, around her.

"What's going on?" she turned her head around and gave him a crooked grin.

"Not just yet." She had finally made the decision the world had been pushing her to make for a long while now. Life had made her a writer, but now a childhood nightmare she had been forced to live was about to make her something she wasn't sure she could do, but she knew she had to at least try. "I don't want to talk about it just yet. But I will tell you before we go back home."

Together the young couple sat for a long time just curled up on the splintering wood until the sun finally heated their skin so much it was red and soon to blister. Only then did they dive into the water. Splashing around just as they had when they were children. But never far from her mind was what she needed to tell him. The thing that was going to ruin everything she'd worked so hard for. What might even lose her, her baby sister. The stars were twinkling in the sky, while Autumn and Billy-Jack lay on a patchwork quilt in the bed of his rusted old ford.

"I'm going to be a hunter." she whispered into the night.

"You already are." he answered her.

"I don't mean deer and wild turkey. I'm talking demon and spirit." she felt him tense up.

"Why can't you let it go? It's just a story." she sucked in her bottom lip. Don't cry. Don't get angry. Just keep moving. Don't stop.

"My uncle was killed by spirits. No one would believe that story so Daddy lied and said he was protecting Athena and I from a deer. Its not what happened. I have to do this."

"Sweet heart, why don't we go see that therapist again?" he asked. The loony bin. Great, she thought, he thinks I've fallen off the deep end.

"B.J. I won't sit around here any longer. There are other hunters, people who will help me get started. I know a few, have been talking with one for a long while now. John seems to think I'll survive."

"John? You mean that nut job who squatted at your house with his boys when we were kids?"

"Yes, it's the same John. But Billy," he stopped her.

"If you leave don't expect me to be here when you come back." she bit back the retort that was choking her. No way she was going to make this worse. Autumn slid out of the truck and took off. She knew the woods and fields of this farm as well as her great-great grandfather who had purchased it for his wife so many years ago. She knew every nook and cranny and that provided her the ability not to be followed, even by a pissed off boyfriend. It took ten minutes before the yellow flood light popped on in reaction to her walking up the drive way.

The moment Autumn opened the front door she woke up. Looming above her was John Winchester's oldest. Worry graced his eyes. It was really grace that made that worry acceptable. He gently swept away a few tears from her cheeks before straightening back up.

"You okay?" he asked whispering.

"Yes, of course." she tried to sound cheery but her voice was raspy from not being used the past few hours while she'd been passed out on some motel bed. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You were crying. You want to tell me what that's about?" He'd only seen her cry twice before now. The first time was when he and his family left her standing in her driveway at the ripe old age of ten, the second time was a few weeks before when she'd embarrassed herself in a local bar.

"Just a dream about an old flame I thought I had put out." he didn't seem to believe her but backed off a little more.

"Did I wake you?" he shrugged.

"Maybe. Sammy has nightmares a lot so"

"You sleep kind of light to protect him." she finished for him. That was the thing about being the oldest. You would do anything to protect your younger siblings. If it meant you didn't get to be in scouts or that you got an extra beating you did it. You didn't think. You didn't blink. You just did whatever needed done.

"Yea." she pushed herself up in bed and slid over a bit patting the vacated spot next to her.

"Climb in dork." the young man did so hesitantly. They were just friends and it was a fine line, they both crossed too often for comfort, keeping them from being more than 'just friends'. "Did I wake anyone else?" he shook his head.

"No, I think they are getting used to it." he didn't mean her having nightmares. They were used to Sam's.

"I'm sorry." he put an arm around her pulling her closer to his bare chest.

"Don't worry about it." it would have been far to easy to melt into him. To forget that they're younger halves were in the room, or that they were strictly business partners.

"How long we have until we get to Richmond?" she asked.

"Just a few hours."

"Then why did we stop?"

"You were falling asleep at the wheel and Sam and Athena were out cold." Not for the first time she thought about suggesting selling their cars and just buying a traveling van. But she had worked all through high school to buy her baby, and his dad had given him his.

"You hear from your dad lately?" she felt his muscles tighten.

"No."

Dean and Sam had traveled around looking for their dad and killing whatever they came across for a year when they bumped into daddy dearest. John Winchester agrees to allow his boys to help kill the demon that took their mother and Sam's girlfriend when things got complicated. In the long run they did have that great encounter. But John and his boys weren't really in a good state. Dean even being left in a coma for a short while. As soon as they were capable they parted ways to start over. That was when the boys had met up with Autumn and her sister, while they were hunting a boogeyman. It had only seemed logical at the time to combine forces.

"I'm sure he's fine and thinking about you boys."

"He's an idiot, did you know that?" she smiled. She'd thought the same thing about her own father.

"Dads can be, but they only do stupid things, like sacrifice themselves, to protect their kids. Wouldn't you do the same thing for your children?" she asked him.

"I suppose." she smiled.

"I know you would. It seems so selfish. But love always is." he squeezed her tighter.

"Thanks." she thought about asking what for but it really didn't matter, with him everything was impulse.

"That's what I'm here for," They both inclined their heads toward each other letting their temple touch "and, Dean, I'll always be here when you need me." Sitting there safe and warm and closer than 'just friends' usually sit the pair drifted back to sleep. It wasn't long after they fell asleep that Autumn's phone rang. She sprang out of the bed and flung herself across Dean to grab it. "Autumn Daemon." she answered.

"That's no way to answer your mother." a woman on the other end half screeched into the phone. Autumn held it away from her ear.

"Sorry, Mom. I didn't know it was you." Dean cocked an eyebrow at her.

"You realize that you have one week till Thanksgiving and you and your sister are to be here?" the woman demanded.

"Yes, Mom. I know Athena and I are to be at your house by eight o'clock Thanksgiving morning, dates. I'm not a total screw up. We'll be there with bells on." Autumn sat herself back up made a face at Dean.

"So, who are you with?" her foster mother asked.

"Athena and I got a motel, we're a few hours from Richmond." she tried to evade the question.

"Right, and you have a boy over too."

"Mom, I'm a big girl now." the woman on the other end sighed.

"I'm sorry, dear. But you don't call me then when I call you you're always busy or with someone."

"Mom, cool it. I'm not always with someone. Right now I'm with Dean and Sam, they're old buddies from college."

"You never mentioned them."

"Yea, I never mentioned a lot of things."

"So what have you been up to lately?"

"We went after a boogeyman last week, and I sent in my newest project yesterday."

"That's good sweetie, how's your sister?"

"Teenie's fine." there was a snort on the other end of the line. "We're all fine and we'll be back home for Thanksgiving."

"You sure?"

"Yea, I'm sure. But I've got to run."

"I love you baby, give Athena a kiss for me."

"I will."

"Bye honey." Autumn snapped her phone shut and tossed it back on the bed stand.

"So you do have a mom?" Dean asked grinning.

"She was my foster mom, and had things gone the way originally planned she would have been my mother in-law by now." Autumn bounced out of bed. "But things don't go as planned. In fact life rebels against all plans." she rummaged through her duffel bag before going to the bathroom to get dressed. Dean got out of bed when the bathroom door shut. He walked outside the door and turned right. This motel was much smaller than the one they had been in last week so there weren't as many places to sleep, and it certainly wasn't as comfortable, so Sam and Athena had put a comforter on the floor and slept on it and had another blanket on them. Dean walked over beside the TV where his duffel bag was. He grabbed a shirt out of it and slid it onto his body. Autumn walked out of the bathroom talking louder than necessary.

"Shhh…" Dean put a finger over his lips to quiet Autumn who stopped talking as soon as he touched her. Autumn turned away quickly to hide a blush, inwardly cursing herself for letting this go so far.

"Get your pants on, Dean. I'll leave a note, we're going to Waffle House." she said going into the other room.

There were only three rooms in the motel, the bathroom, a bedroom, and a living room. There wasn't much of anything walling the 'living room' and bedroom off except a pull, vinyl divider. She'd taken the bedroom and to begin with her sister had been in there too. Autumn sighed, she knew they were going to have to make huge changes or pull back and leave. She wasn't going to fall for another guy who she would just have to leave, and more importantly than her own heart break she wasn't going to let her sister fall for someone they were going to leave in the dust, or would leave them. But not just yet. John Winchester, her knight in shining pick-up truck, had sent his sons coordinates to a speck of a town in Virginia, and she'd be damned if she missed a chance to be somewhere he thought worthy of his sons' attention.

She pulled a post-it out of her duffel bag and scribbled a short note: went for breakfast, clean up we'll bring you something Kill you later. She stuck it to the bathroom mirror where she was sure her sister would see it. Athena had been allowed few rituals in her life on the road and her morning routine was one of them. Dean was lacing up his boots when she returned. He barely looked up at her while she stood braiding her hair in to pigtails. She was going to have the windows down on the drive later today and she wasn't going to have her hair all over. When Dean had finished she slipped her feet into her black, slipper like shoes and headed out the door, making sure to lock it behind them.

"Are you sure there's a Waffle House near here?" he asked climbing into the driver's seat of his car.

"We are right off an exit ramp, babe. If there is one thing I learned road tripping its that off every exit ramp is a beautiful yellow sign reading Waffle House."

Sure enough not five minutes after pulling out of the parking lot Dean was pulling into a Waffle House. A pretty bleach blond took their order, flirting the whole while. Autumn didn't seem to mind she was absorbed in the paper. He left her to her own until the waitress went to take a phone call, leaving him with nothing to do. He started rapping his fingers on the table. She glared at him over the paper, and he stopped. Only to start it over again the moment she started reading again.

"Okay, what's wrong?" she snapped folding the paper calmly and setting in beside her on the bench.

"Nothing." he said innocently. She rolled her eyes and managed to recover the look in time to smile at the forty-something man who was giving them their coffees.

"Thank you, sir." she add too the grin.

"If there is anything else you need, miss, just ask." he said with a slight wink. Autumn nodded and her left hand found the end of her pigtail.

"I won't hesitate." she replied before sipping at her drink.

"How is it? Too strong?" the man asked.

"No, it's perfection in a cup." he gave a short chuckle and walked off.

"That was sick." Dean mumbled.

"No sicker than you and Miss Boob-job." Autumn retorted. "Besides, always butter up the waiter, it might get you a discount."

"You're a strange little woman." Dean commented.

"Thanks." she turned her smile on him. But he didn't get time to enjoy it because she ducked her head and stared into her coffee.

"You told your 'mom' you'd have dates?" he asked trying to start some sort of conversation.

"Yea, she's always worried Athena and I'll end up that old lady who lives in a run down shack with a million cats. So she makes a point of demanding a date at all functions." she didn't look up once.

"Why would you become creepy, cat lady?"

"Our real dad killed himself because he couldn't live with out our mom. The only person I ever got close enough to, to fall in love with broke me into a million pieces and gave me that final push to run. It isn't exactly a good way to look at love, or life in general. Beside that she knows what we do. She knows we don't have a lot of time to date or anything," Autumn paused for a moment to mix a pack of sugar into her coffee. "We humor her. We don't really bring date-dates. We scrounge up a couple of guys we went to school with who don't have anything better to do, or we even grabbed two hitch hikers one year."

"So who are you going to drag this time?" he questioned farther.

"Don't know." she shrugged. "I was thinking maybe you and Sammy would like a good home cooked meal for once. It's only a days drive from here, we're only required to spend one full day and night with them, getting us back on the road in three days. Easy re-coop time." Before he could answer Miss Boob-job brought out their breakfast and Autumn ordered a couple of waffles to-go for Sam and Athena.

"Sam?… Sammy wake up." Sam opened one eye to look at Athena sitting beside him.

"It's Sam. And I was up a few minutes ago. No one was here except you and me." His voice was still a little croaky his once deep sleep.

"Autty and Dean left. She said to clean up and she'd bring us something back." Athena got under the covers next to Sam who welcomed her in by lifting up the blankets for her.

"What if we don't clean up? Is she still going to bring us something if she don't know?"

"Probably. And she won't know if we did or didn't until she gets back anyway." Just then the door swung open and Autumn and Dean walked in. "Fake asleep." Athena and Sam quickly closed their eyes and Sam put his arm around Athena the way it had been when he'd woken up the first time.

"That don't work anymore, smartass." Autumn said. "And besides that, you snore."

"I do not!" Athena exclaimed.

"Yes you do!"

"No I don't!"

"Yeah huh!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Yeah huh!" Athena started shaking her head no, and Autumn shook hers yes.

"Okay fine, you don't… but you do. Anyway, we brought you waffles. But you don't get them until you clean up like I told you to. Athena started grunting at her sister who just cocked an eyebrow at her younger sibling.

"Fine." Athena growled. She got out from under th , warm blankets and stomped off.

"Come on Sam you're clothes aren't going to change themselves." Autumn urged. Sam rolled his eyes and he too got out from under the covers and began folding them.

"How come they obey you?" Dean asked.

"Same reason I obey Athena." She answered

"Why's that."

"I'm not sure why Sam listens to me, but Athena does it because she's afraid of what might happen if she doesn't"

"She fears you…?"

"Not really fear. It's more like… I don't know. But it's not fear."

"Sounds like fear to me."

"We don't fear each other, Dean. If we did, we'd never spend time together. It's just we have to get along because if we don't then nothing gets done. So we're best off to just do it and shut up about it." Athena came out of the bathroom about five minutes later. About the time Sam had finished folding the blankets and tossing them back where they came from.

"Autty, I heard your phone ring this morning. Who was it?" Athena asked.

"Our dear ole mum." Autumn answered straightening the blankets on the bed while Dean sat the to-go boxes on the bedside table.

"You're alive?" Autumn nodded just as amazed. "I'm impressed. What'd the wicked witch want?"

"ATHENA! The woman took us in when no one else would. She's not the wicked witch… she's just a little difficult to deal with." Autumn amended.

"Whatever. What'd she want?"

"Make sure we were alive, and coming to Thanksgiving." Autumn busied herself stuffing their dirty clothes in their respective duffel bags.

"We don't have to take hitchhikers again do we?"

"No. Thank God. I was actually hoping Sammy and Dean would be our _dates_ as she calls them."

"Sam." Sam corrected.

"Whatever. Anyway, are you guys up for it?"

"Sure. We don't have anywhere else to be, so why not?" Sam said looking at Dean. Dean just slung his duffle bag over his shoulder.

"I'll go load up, you two hurry up and eat." he said pointing a finger at Sam and Athena.

"What do I do then, Dad?" Autumn joked. But Dean didn't answer her either he just grabbed his brother's pack and started out for his precious car.


	2. Chapter 2

**Race to Kill**

**Disclaimer: Supernatural belongs to Eric Kripke. **

**A/N: This chapter is shorter than the last one and I apologize but the Third chapter will be up quickly and hopefully be longer.**

**Chapter Two**

It took another half hour before Autumn was satisfied with the room, had turned in the key, and the four of them were back in their respective cars and on the road. Conversations didn't take too much hold while they drove the remaining two hours to Kelsey, Virginia. Sam had done most of the research on the town. It wasn't much to brag about. It had been named for the love of it's founders life, back in the mid 1700's. Through the years it had been relatively untouched by the rest of the world, keeping its country town feel. Kelsey would have even managed to slip off the radar had it not been for a series of deaths taking place in one of the local houses. Not much to go on, because the town's paper wasn't printed on the internet, they had to go with what the larger towns and cities around said.

The town was void of any motels, there was a bed and breakfast on a small apple orchard, and an inn run by the same family since opening right after the Civil War. It wasn't a hard decision, the inn was vastly cheaper. This time instead of sharing rooms they all ended up with separate rooms, on the demand of the older couple who ran the place. By the time they settled in it was lunch time, prime time to start questioning the locals. John didn't have any leash laws to worry about so he stayed right at Autumn's side as they took a walking tour of the town.

"Mulberry." Athena said watching, even the young men, tip their hats to the woman folk. Not a soul opened their own door someone was always there to rush forward and open it for you.

"Creepy." Sam agreed.

"I'll tell you one thing, we see a fugly scarecrow, I'm out of here." Dean laughed.

"Howdy." a man called waving at them propping open his store door.

"Afternoon, sir." Autumn replied, despite the fact that he couldn't have been any older than they were.

"Ya'll visiting?" he asked whipping out a bandanna and tying back his dirty blonde curls.

"Yea, we're doing a little road tripping, heading back home for the holidays. Just couldn't pass a place like this up." the other three fell behind her not sure exactly where she was going with this.

"We're a dying breed aren't we?" the man asked. "Where you staying?"

"Back at the inn off Main Street." she said jerking her head back in that direction.

"Quiet place. The Elners will take good care of you. Their granddaughter lives with them, you should ask her to show you around." Autumn smiled sweetly.

"I'll do that. Uh, we saw something in a paper the other day about some kids dying, what happened?" the man seemed to shut down.

"They didn't die, they were murdered, and you'd be better off not talking about that. People 'round here aren't to keen on sharing nothing that close to the heart."

"Thanks." they moved on.

But as the day continued they found most conversations went this way. The four gathered in Sam's room to work through the little information they had gathered and lay out the beginnings of a plan. The only nugget of gold they'd found was the location of the house where the murders happened. They decided first thing the next morning they were heading there. Until then they ate dinner at a tiny Ma and Pop's diner, and retired with the local paper.

"Surrounded by cops." Dean said passing up the drive way.

"Then we talk to the neighbor." Athena told him. "What do you think, Sis, Unexplained Mysteries in to check out the local stories of haunting?" Autumn nodded.

"Sounds good to me." Autumn pulled a tube of bright red lipstick out smeared it on and twisted her hair up into a business woman bun. Dean pulled the car up the next drive while Athena dug a camcorder out of her purse.

"What don't you have in that thing?" Sam asked pointing at the bag Athena carried. "You could fit a dead body in there."

"Ha ha, Sammy."

"No fighting kids." Dean joked climbing out.

Chickens were everywhere, cows stood behind the fences, and a white farm house stood off to the side of five barns. The whole place smelled of manure and in the distance the roar and growl of tractors could be heard as they made their way through the fields. It was late for a harvest but had been dry enough that they could still bring in another round of hay. Autumn looked the most like someone from a television show, with her calico blazer and jeans. The rest of them were dressed too much like they'd just come in off the street to pull it off.

"What do we do?" Sam asked. The girls obviously having a plan.

"Just follow, Autty." Athena assured. So hanging back a few paces they followed Autumn up to the front door. She knocked and the moment her knuckles touched the door someone behind them spoke up.

"Can I help you?" there in wranglers and a open flannel with a white t-shirt underneath stood a bona fide farm boy.

"Yes, actually. We're with Unexplained Mysteries, and caught wind of the house next door. We were wondering if you could tell us about it?" Autumn pushed through the group and down the porch steps to stand far closer than necessary to the boy. He was probably fresh out of his teens, barely, if at all, legal to drink.

"Depends on what you wanna know, Miss…"

"Daemon. Autumn Daemon, and this is my crew. Dean, Sam, and Athena." she pointed to each of them in turn.

"Curtis Webbler." he introduced himself. "How'd you say you heard about that house?"

"I didn't, but word travels. Specially in our business." Autumn filled in.

"Well, there's not much to tell. Its been in the same family since the mid 60's. But since long before that it's been the sight of many murders. No suspects ever found. Whole story goes back to slavery." he was watching Autumn carefully and she wasn't disappointing. Dean had seen girls hold themselves the same way so often he'd actually started to think it was a normal. But with it being part of his party the flirting was near unbearable to watch.

"Can you give us details on that?" Autumn asked laying her hand on his exposed forearm, where his sleeves were rolled up.

"Yea," he grinned continuing. "You see once upon a time, this family bought the land, but just before the house was complete the mother died in child birth, leaving her husband and seven sons to fend for themselves with the new baby. The baby didn't live too long, and they buried him somewhere out behind the house, supposedly right by his mom. The dad and seven boys built the house from scratch, all by themselves. But in the process the oldest two boys, who were already married, got into an argument. According to local legend one of them was caught with the other's wife. The unfaithful spouses were killed by their family and the son was incased in the chimney, but that has been replaced after a tornado hit the area when I was little. As the years went on though," he stopped and looked at Autumn as if not sure whether or not he wanted to share the next bit of information. "You said you're from Unexplained, so you like, believe in ghosts right?"

"Ghosts, aliens, werewolves, big foot, you name it." Autumn still hadn't moved her hand and the boy seemed to notice it, but didn't bother to remove it.

"Well, as time went on, its said the house was haunted. That the spirit of the murdered man and woman stayed in the house. Another version, is that just after slavery ended here, which was a bit before everywhere around, a woman, the wife of one of the sons, killed her husband so she could take up with her colored lover. So the murdered husband haunted the house, torturing his wife and her new husband's children until they went crazy and were sent to an asylum up north. The couple eventually sold the place, and the spirit didn't cause any trouble until the 1960's when another young couple moved in. But before they moved in they had major repairs done. Updating to indoor plumbing, electricity, and getting a phone line installed. There were a couple of black guys on the crew that died doing the repairs. The couple didn't think much about it. They raised a family. But whenever any African American entered the house something happened to them. They were the only ones hurt in this mess until, now."

"What's changed?" Dean asked earning himself a death glare from Autumn who repeated the question returning her gaze to Curtis.

"The kids that were killed the other day, the one boy was white, his sister was mixed, then there were the three kids whose parents immigrated from Mexico, the two Chang kids, that makes all seven. The whole town is in an uproar about it. No, one's lived there in years. Let me think, the Meyers retired to Florida ten years ago , Alexis married and left, then six years ago my sister married Charles. So it's been ten years, since anyone lived there. Chuck hates the place one set foot in it now. Sis don't like it much so I go over and keep things in order for them. Replace broken windows, trim the lawn, that kind of thing. Kids are always coming out and breaking in."

"So, you found the kids?" Autumn asked gently. Curtis looked down at his boots.

"Yea, the dogs had gone nuts all night. So, I headed over the next morning just to make sure everything was okay, the front door was open I went in and the kids were all dead up in the master bedroom."

"CURT!" a man yelled from somewhere near the barns and he turned around to see if he couldn't find the voice. "Bell's down get in here!"

"I've got to go, uh the police are going to finish up there today, you got a pen?" Athena produced a pen and memo pad from her pocket and forked them over. "Here's my number, call me and I'll give you a walk through if you want." he wrote down his number and before he left them Autumn did the same.

"Did you have to do that?" Dean asked as they walked away.

"Do what?" Autumn said with a chuckle.

"All the… flirty, girly crap."

"Yeah, yeah I did. Besides, what's the worst that can happen?"

"He's going to be acting weird and stuff now. He clearly worships you. Did you two see the way he was staring at her when she glared at us?"

"Dean, what's it matter? He's just a guy. We've got to leave this humble little town sooner or later."

"Hey, I'm just saying…"

"Oh my god just get it over with and ask her out, Dean." Athena whispered to Sam. They were far enough behind Autumn and Dean to where they wouldn't hear the two whispering back and forth.

"Yeah, did you know that when we left all those years ago, Dean only talked about her for a few weeks?" Sam whispered back.

"No, but that's pretty funny. I mean, he used to be that sensitive… and now look at him. He's with a new girl every few weeks."

"Yeah, but I think he still only loves Autumn." The two climbed in the back seat since Autumn claimed shotgun.

"Okay, lets head on back to the inn and see what we've got." Autumn suggested.


	3. Chapter 3

**Race to Kill**

**Disclaimer: Supernatural belongs to Eric Kripke. **

**Chapter Three**

"So we're looking at one of the sons?" Athena asked hesitant to bring up the topic. It had taken all of yesterday for Sam to get Dean's feathers smoothed out. Autumn was playing with her CD player, Dean was collapsed across her bed with his dad's journal, and Sam had himself propped up against the wall his computer on his lap. Athena herself was pacing the room trying to figure out why her room was considered safe territory.

"Yea, I guess. But no one knows where the bodies are according to the story." Autumn said tucking one ear phone behind her ear so she could hear the conversation and her collection of country cheating songs.

"I doubt they're in graves with out any marker at all." Sam said after a moments silence. "I'm looking at the towns web page, and the family who originally owned the house was one of the founding families, they were generally well loved and respected. Which is why the house is still standing."

"That only means the town's people wouldn't have liked them to be buried unmarked. It don't mean it didn't happen. I mean, seriously dude, they were still hanging people with out so much as a trial. It wouldn't have been a big deal. Son number one screws son number two's wife. Son number two tells daddy who gets ticked off. Daddy and all sons excluding son number one plan and execute son number one and number two's wife. They ditch the bodies as conveniently as possible end of story." Autumn sounded bored, as if this was an open shut case.

"Encasing a body in the chimney isn't convenient." Dean mumbled.

"Just as easy as digging a hole. Hell, Dean, they could have cut them up and fed them to the pigs for all we know." Autumn countered.

"Feed them to the pigs? Who feeds people to pigs?" Athena exchanged looks with Sam, their elders were off.

"Pigs digest bone. That's why Clifton sent his wife through the wood chipper and fed them remains to his neighbors hogs. It saves all the trouble of someone finding the body." Autumn shot. She'd been obsessed with the Clifton murders. The man had found his wife in bed with his best friend killed her, fed her to the hogs, then beat his best friend to death, and called 911 just before sucking on the end of a pistol. It took three months before anyone figured out what had happened to the wife's body.

"They didn't have wood chippers, Autumn."

"No, they didn't but there were seven grown men, full of adrenaline. That's better than a wood chipper. What's your problem anyway? I got the story and all I have to do is make a phone call and we don't have to break in to check the place out. So where's the big issue?"

"You can't just trust these people!" Dean said forcing himself up. He stalked over to the door never taking his eyes off of Autumn.

"I'm a big girl, I'll trust who I want." Dean growled at her response and left slamming the door. "What?" she asked when she saw Sam and Athena watching her.

"Nothing." Sam said hiding in his computer.

"I swear, Autumn, you've lost your marbles." Athena told her sister. "Might as well make the call now. Tomorrow morning or something."

Autumn pulled the number from her pocket and grabbed her cell. She couldn't figure out what she'd done wrong. Which normally wasn't a problem. Normally she lived in fear of having done everything wrong. Right now though all she saw was Dean in the wrong. She didn't get a hold of him instead his brother answered the phone. She told him who she was and asked that Curtis call her back as soon as possible. The man agreed to pass on the message and hung up. Afterwards she went to find some sort of gift in town for Billy-Jack's kids, since she was going to be spending a few days with him might as well keep on his good side. She hadn't been back at the inn ten minutes when her cell rang.

"Hello?" she didn't recognize the number.

"Hey, it's Curt." a familiar voice said on the other end.

"Oh, hey."

"T'sup?" he asked. She was on her bed trying to wrap the hand made rag dolls and only succeeding in taping herself to everything in reach.

"Not much, just wondering when we could get a walk through."

"I'm busy tonight, Bell's calf was born this morning and it's awful sick so I need to stick close the first 24 hours, other wise my dad'll kill the poor thing. But tomorrow I'm free until seven-ish."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Uh how about sometime around ten in the morning?"

"Sounds great. I gave my final statement this afternoon."

"Must be ruff having those images in your head." she heard a chuckle on the other end of the line.

"It's no picnic. But everything happens for a reason right? If I hadn't found those kids and someone else had, we may never have met."

"I guess that's true." Autumn smiled. Even though he couldn't see it, and flipped her hair off her shoulders.

"You're not going to ask what I'm doing tomorrow night?"

"No, I barely know you. It's none of my business." she told him giving up on her project.

"Do you shoot?" he asked after a second's silence.

"Depends on what we're talking about." someone knocked on the door and she got up to go answer it.

"Like weapons." he said as if the mere idea was dangerous. She gave a short chuckle and opened the door. She waved in her sister.

"Yea, I do a bit of shooting. Why?"

"Tomorrow night, why don't you come to my place, around 7, I teach archery to some of the local kids, you know keeps them busy."

"Oh, I don't know. I'm not sure what we're going to be doing. This is sort of a big project for me." Athena picked up one of the dolls and looked at Autumn questioningly.

"Okay, how about this: there's no pressure, if you can get away come see me. If not, maybe some other time."

"That sounds good."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow morning?"

"Yea, defiantly. Oh… Can I bring my dog?"

"Your dog?" he didn't seem to understand the purpose of a dog.

"Yea, they are very perceptive to the paranormal. I could confirm the presence of something abnormal if I could bring him."

"As long as the little guy is house trained bring him along."

"Mkay, thanks. I'll see you in the morning, Curtis."

"Bye." she shut her phone and looked at her sister.

"What's up?" she asked setting back to her wrapping.

"Not much. What's this?" she was still holding the doll.

"The one in the blue dress is for Kendra, the pink dress is from Kellie, and the yellow dress is for Kayla, somewhere I have a little wooden car for Nick." Athena raised her brow and nodded. "What? Martha was my friend, and Billy and I were close. Beside all that they're family and these kids are our god-children."

"No, its just not you." Athena answered sitting on her sister's bed and taking over the wrapping.

"What isn't me?"

"Impressing three guys at once. I mean, this isn't like when we were kids and you did everything you could to out shoot, out spit, or knock out the guys on our street just to prove you were as good as they were. Dean, Billy-Jack, and Curtis…" Athena trailed off.

"Billy-Jack and I have been over for centuries, I'm just toying with Curtis somewhere in that little head of his has to be useful information, and Dean is just a friend. Athena, you know all of this." Athena shrugged.

"Put your finger here." Autumn complied holding down the edge of the paper, "I know what you say, and I know what I see. Just be careful, Autty."

"This is about Dean flipping out this morning isn't it? I didn't do anything wrong, you know? I mean you heard what he made Sam do with that Sarah girl when they went after the killer painting. This is no different. Sometimes you just have to use a person in order to get what you need."

"I suppose. But just be careful, Sam didn't make mistakes. Sarah didn't know he was just doing it for information. If Curtis finds out he might call the cops, that is if he finds out we're not actually with Unexplained Mysteries."

"You don't trust me…"

"I trust you plenty. I'm just saying watch your ass." Athena finished wrapping the doll and reached her hand out for the other one. Autumn put the doll in her sisters hand and looked at Athena as if she still didn't believe her.

"Don't lie to me Teenie. Could you do this?"

"Finger." Autumn put her finger in the same place it had been on the previous doll. "I'm not saying I want to. I'm just saying, Autty, watch your ass. It's not that hard to understand. I don't want to spend the night in a jail cell or anything. I'm sure you can pull it off I just don't want to get caught."

"So you're worrying?"

"Yeah… basically."

"Whatever. Where are the boys?"

"Dean's with the granddaughter, she wanted him to taste something or other, I don't know. Sam is in his room talking to Sarah on the phone."

"Seriously! You didn't go with Dean? He could be tasting anything!" Athena rolled her eyes.

"Dean is down get his rifle fixed, the trigger is sticking." Autumn relaxed.

"What about Sammy?"

"I wasn't lying about that. He's talking with her, on the phone, all alone in his room, with the door locked, and FYI she called him." Athena said as if it really didn't matter.

"We meet Curtis at his place at 10 tomorrow."

"John can come?" Autumn nodded. "Good. Why don't you head down and see what's for dinner, I'll finish up here?" Autumn left for the kitchen and Athena finished up the wrapping.


	4. Chapter 4

**Race to Kill**

**Disclaimer: Supernatural belongs to Eric Kripke. **

**Chapter Four**

"Teenie said you were looking for me?" Dean asked walking into the kitchen. Autumn had offered to make dinner, since they were the only guests and she felt guilty for making the young woman cook twice as much on their account.

"No, just asked where you were." he nodded and sat down on a stool that sat next to the stove. He reminded her of a little kid watching mommy cook, the way he watched her pure interest in his eyes.

"Wacha cookin' good lookin'?" he asked. She laid down the knife she'd been using to chop onions.

"Lasagna." he cocked an eyebrow at her. "One useful thing my dad taught me. He loved to cook, when Mom first got sick he would cook to relieve stress."

"You're dad taught you to cook, mine taught me to me a warrior." he laughed. Autumn stopped and looked at him, really looked at him, for the fist time since they'd met up in the bar the week before.

"At least your dad taught you something on purpose. Mine only let me in the kitchen because it meant I wasn't driving Mom nuts." Dean was good at keeping emotions locked away, and hiding even the tiniest hint of them from his face. So, he didn't fail this time to look impassive.

"But you had a mom."

"Right, before she got sick she spent endless hours volunteering, while dad worked and Athena and I were amused by babysitters. Then she got sick and was home all the time with us for two years, while she died. That alone literally killed my dad. So don't go so low Dean. Neither of us had pleasant childhoods."

She picked up where she'd left off cooking and the entire time, without saying a single word Dean watched. It didn't take long before she was sliding the meal into the oven to cook. Then Dean remained watching her while she cleaned up what she could of the dishes, dry, and putting them away. Then wiped down the counters, kitchen table, and set out plates.

The next morning Autumn loaded John into the back seat of her car, while Athena and the boys prepared a bag of EMF readers, and a few other supernatural detectors, making sure to pack salt, and a couple of small handguns with rock salt. A few people stared at them as they passed by, on morning walks but didn't see anything beyond 'new aged gadgets' and a girl with a large dog. They weren't dumb enough to get caught with anything 'dangerous'.

Curtis was waiting in the drive when they got there. He didn't waste time in climbing into his pick-up and leading the way to the Haunted House of Kelsey. Even a little run down it was beautiful. Inside the railing on the stairs were finely carved mahogany, the rooms were huge. It was like the rest of the town, perfect. Before the door was even shut EMF readers were out and the four had begun their search for anything supernatural. Autumn took the camcorder, to make it look like they were actually filming for a TV show.

"You can wander around, it's pretty self explanatory." Curtis dismissed Sam and Dean who seemed ready to bust for holding themselves with the group and not running off in search of evil. Athena gave her sister a questioning look, received a nod and took off after the boys to go over every inch of every room. "Not going with you lackeys?"

"No, I wanted to stick with you. They're not much good if this spirit comes back for more revenge." Curtis laughed.

"I never really thought about that thanks." Autumn grinned clicking on her video camera and beginning to tape the room, her EMF reader strapped to a Velcro bracelet on her wrist.

"I wouldn't worry about it coming after you. If you've been here multiple times before you are probably not its target." he followed her out of the entrance room and into a parlor.

"What is its target?" Autumn kept watch through the camera slowly running it over the room, taking in every detail.

"One of two things. Intruders who do damage to the house, or it could be targeting people by race, which is my guess. Has it ever killed any whites, beside the little boy the other day?" he shook his head.

"No, I've got papers back at the house from a research project I did a few years back, if you want you can have a copy." smiling Autumn pushed through to the next room.

"What kind of papers?" she asked him.

"Obituaries, the death records of a few victims, news paper clippings, copies of eye witness accounts, that sort of thing." Curtis answered unsure of whether or not his information would please her.

"Yea, that will save us some researching." Autumn glanced up stairs where she could hear feet beating across the floor.

"You seem pretty close to your crew." he commented. They were nearly finished with the down stairs sweeping through the kitchen and dinning room now before completing the circle and going back to the entrance.

"Athena's my kid sister, so yea we're close. Sam and Dean," she paused "What's that?" she asked pointing to a crib sitting off to the side of the stove.

"They kept it here, the original owners, then who ever had the house afterwards could never get it moved. Every time they moved it somewhere else it would come right back here. What about Sam and Dean?"

"That's weird don't you think. Why would one of the brothers care so much where the crib was?"

"The one that was poisoned had kids. What about Sam and Dean?" Autumn mentally noted the cold spot around the crib, and wondered if it was there before the crib or if it was by the crib kept coming back, before answering Curtis' question.

"We've been through a lot together. We do a lot of traveling together for the show, you spend that much time cooped up with someone you get to know them, for better or worse."

"So you guys aren't like involved?" she shook her head.

"Remind me to bring John through this spot before we leave."

"John?" Curtis looked nervous.

"The dog," she soothed. "But, no we aren't involved. Just buds. Is there a basement or cellar or anything?"

"Out back they had a cellar dug under the smoke house. But there isn't much left now."

"Probably not going to be very interesting then. Why don't we head on up stairs. I'll send Athena down to scan the kitchen." So Curtis led her upstairs, they intercepted Athena and headed for the opposite end of the hall. They swept over the four or five small bedrooms at that end with out much conversation. But her reader started going nuts the closer they got to the master bedroom. "Where did you find the kids?" she asked.

"Master bedroom, all the murders happen there." Curtis said watching the reader strapped to her wrist.

"That's interesting. What room downstairs are we directly over?" she asked the camera was starting to go on the fritz as she tried to film the bedroom.

"The kitchen," Curtis walked in past her and went to stand next to the window. "This is right above the crib." Sure enough there was another cold spot where he was standing. "So what do your parents think of you being in this sort of business?"

"They don't, my parents died when I was little." she said her voice void of all emotion. "My foster parents on the other hand hate it. They always thought we were crazy to believe in this sort of thing, but to get paid for it…" she let her voice trail off as she mounted the service stairs and headed back for the kitchen.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Curtis said following her. "My biological father died before I was born. Mom remarried when I was four, my uncle of all people."

"Happens more often than you would think. Parents are half as sturdy as you would think. They die or can't deal and leave all the time. Not exactly, indestructible heroes we grow up thinking they are." she said dismissing his sympathy.

"You find anything?" Dean asked when she got to the kitchen where they were all gathered around the cold spot.

"The master bedroom is murder on camera, there is a continuation of this cold spot up there too. How about you guys?"

"Well, if the brother in the chimney is doing this he's not active. The chimney checked out." Sam offered.

"What about John, sis?" Athena shot her a warning look, she didn't know Curtis knew they were sisters and was afraid she was slipping up.

"Nothing too much. He's been on edge the whole time we've been in here though." Athena informed her.

"Let's get him out then."

"So is there anything else I can do for you?" Curtis asked as they stood out in the front yard. Autumn was getting a shot of the outside of the house while Sam and Dean returned all their readers and equipment to the trunk and Athena stuck by John who was running around and enjoying his freedom from whatever had him on edge inside.

"No." Dean answered before Autumn could.

"When do you want me to get those papers?" he shrugged.

"I'll copy them when I get home so anytime tomorrow. Or I can run them over to you."

"I'll come get them." Autumn told him, turning off the camera and heading back to the car where everyone else was waiting. She climbed in the back seat with Sam and John and was about to shut the door when Curtis yelled one more question across the yard.

"Autumn?" she looked up. "Why don't I bring them to you, then we can go out for dinner to discuss them." she smiled.

"That sounds wonderful. I'll look for you around seven-ish?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Are you really wearing that?" Dean asked padding down the staircase. Autumn was sitting in the living room, her hair fell freely spilling over her shoulders in perfect little curls, Athena had insisted on doing her hair and make-up which was something Autumn rarely did, then proceeded to talk her sister into a jean skirt and jacket with a slightly more revealing than Autumn liked halter top underneath.

"Yes, why is there something wrong with it?" all the confidence she'd had with 'yes' had faded quickly into panic by the end of her sentence.

"No." he said coming over to sit on the couch across from her. "So what papers is this for again?" he asked trying to make decent conversation.

"He did some research on our house a few years back. He has some information we'll never get a hold of that should help in figuring out who is haunting the house and where their body is." her voice shifted from the worried young woman straight into her all business voice. Dean knew he'd completely lost her at this point but pushed further.

"You know we'd fair just fine if you didn't want to do this?" she shrugged.

"Can't kill me to speed things up, get a free meal, and spend an evening with a decent guy." still all business. He stopped and actually thought before speaking again, what would Sammy do?

But Sam was having his own problem walking with Athena up and down main street, window shopping. She'd insisted on getting out of the inn, and didn't want to be alone. So, he'd agreed to go for a walk, not like fresh air was going to hurt anything. At first Athena had kept her distance and just spoke when he said something to her. But somewhere along the way he'd opened a can of worms he wished had stayed sealed.

"What she like? Dean said she was smoking but he really don't have a good record as far as I'm concerned."

"She's smart and sweet." he started but she didn't let him get very far.

"And brave, and pretty, and blah, blah, blah. I know all that. I mean any girl who would risk life and limb to help right a wrong she and her father unwittingly done, has to be all those things. But what is she really like, what do you think of her?" she pranced about a few feet ahead of him.

"I like her, but"

"Jess?" Athena asked. She didn't understand how much pain that one name brought up in him. But she didn't ask it the way Dean did, she at least understood it did hurt and he needed time still to shake all of the emotions.

"Not entirely, I realize she's gone, and she'd want me to be happy."

"But you miss her like your right hand, and every time you get close to Sarah you remember her and have to pull back." he chuckled. Maybe she understood more than he gave her credit for.

"Yea, something like that."

"What about Cassie? Do I need to play guard dog for Autty?" Sam shrugged.

"Dean's a big boy. Cassie told him that she didn't see where they had a future together." he answered her. Athena had stopped to stare in the window of an antique store.

"I'll have to stop here before we leave. But Dean and Cassie, so they are definitely over not that he wouldn't jump if she showed interest again."

"I guess." Sam agreed.

"Well, as long as she's not showing interest I'll leave my sister to her own idiocy. So does Sarah call you often?" he groaned and she laughed. "You can't shake me, dear, I'm like a leech!"

"No, we talk every now and then, but I don't want her hurt." he laughed. It sounded weird to say something like that with a laugh behind it but Athena didn't seem to care.

"The circle continues. Your dad know about her?" he followed her into a hat shop.

"I don't know." Athena rolled her eyes and mumbled something about men, putting on a purple hat with a red bow on it.

"What do ya think? Is it me?" he laughed and grabbed for another hat from the rack and replaced the purple one with it.

Autumn and Dean were still 'talking' in the living room when Curtis came in. He had cleaned up, his jeans with the wore out knees were replaced by a pair of dress slacks, that he probably only wore to church Sunday mornings, his sweat soaked t-shirt had been traded for a blue button up that matched his eyes, and his sandy hair had met a comb. He smiled when he saw her and she stood up.

"You look amazing." he said taking her in. She grinned.

"Don't look so bad yourself." his grin widened still further.

"My mother took over my wardrobe."

"My sister did mine."

"I had help from the dog." Dean said not enjoying being tossed aside so quickly.

"Oh, I'm sorry Dan I didn't see you there." Curtis held out his hand.

"It's Dean." Dean corrected shaking his hand. "Well you kids should get going." he started ushering them towards the door with the thought that the sooner they left the sooner they would return. He stood on the porch and watched Autumn climb into the cab of the other man's pick-up. "Don't forget to buckle up." he called out. She smiled back at him and waved. "Don't stay out too late remember they lock up at ten."

"We'll be back in time," she called back. "Don't worry so much." Dean stood on the wrap around porch and watched the truck pull out of sight.

"So, what Athena's your baby sister and he's your older brother, twin maybe?" Curtis asked hopefully.

"Dean? No, it's just after you hunt so many of these things down you get pretty close. I mean we've spent countless hours in transit, our little team has to survive all the traveling and filming, interviewing. We get close." Curtis gave her a sideways glance.

"Uh huh. So I've got us reservations at this place a couple towns over. A little expensive but great food." Autumn fought down the urge to tell him that this was strictly business smiling instead.

"Sounds great. Did you bring the papers?" She was really starting to feel dirty at this point. A date in trade for research. Barely better than a common hooker.

"Yea, they're in the back." she twisted around to look in the bed of the truck expecting to see a yellow envelope or a binder. She was shocked to find a large plastic tote.

"That's full?" she asked. He nodded.

"I went in for a little and came out with the house's life story." he told her.

"What kind of assignment was this?" he gave a light chuckle.

"High school English. We were supposed to think of a legend that had a profound effect on our childhood. A lot of kids did things like the Headless Horsemen, or Hookman, or something of the sort. The kind of stories they were told just for a good scare. But I was never very interested in those. I like the one that literally lived next door. So I got more research because everything was right here in our town. That one project pulled my ass out of the fire too." he grinned. "Mind if I turn on the radio?"

"That's fine with me." she was glad for freedom from his what little conversation he was offering. He clicked on the radio and instantly Jimmy Buffet was singing "Why don't we get drunk and screw" blared through the cab. Blushing bright red he twisted the dial. He made it through several other stations before settling on a country station playing Reba's "Night the Lights Went out in Georgia".

"I hope country's okay." she nodded.

"Best there is."

"Really? City girls don't usually think that." she laughed.

"I was raised on this stuff. Well this and some of the old rock stuff. My mom like the 60's rock, Dad like Pink Floyd or B52's, he was into strange music. But I was the only third grader who knew all the words to 'Love Shack'."

"I never particularly cared for them. But the Beatles and Monkeys were cool." she laughed.

The rest of the ride went on with conversation about music, and lame bands they'd been into as children. The occasional mention of a huge crush they'd had on random members of said lame bands, but overall nothing noteworthy. Fifteen minutes later Curtis pulled off the main road onto a beaten path into the woods. The hair stood up on the back of Autumn's neck and her hand gripped her cell phone in her purse but she didn't say anything. After a few minutes of nothing but trees a large one level barn came into view. Mud covered pick-ups surrounded it. A dozen or so people were scattered about the makeshift parking lot, all in jeans and boots. Speakers attached every fifteen or twenty feet to the barn's roof played Brooks n' Dunn. Curtis turned to her and grinned.

"This is your expensive place?" she asked holding back a laugh. It was redneck heaven.

"So, maybe the most expensive part is replacing your clothes afterwards but hey a little fun never killed anyone." He climbed up in the back of his truck. "Now, if you don't mind, I must amend my mother's dress code." Autumn turned around her back to the truck at watched a couple making out while Curtis changed, in front of the whole world. Once he dawned a pair of faded jeans and red t-shirt he hopped down holding the box of information. "Lead the way m'dear." he gave an awkward bow and pointed her toward the door. He kept the box tucked under his left arm, and his right hovered, debating on whether or not to wrap itself, around Autumn's waist.

"So you come here often?" she asked him dodging a group of people just in front of the two sliding doors that served as an entrance.

"When you live in tiny town you frequent anywhere that isn't home." he told her. "Come on my sister said she'd save us a spot in the back, so we can work on this stuff." he nodded toward the box.

The inside of the barn was perfect. A bar had been put in off in the back right corner, a dance floor under a strobe light, tables had been scattered everywhere and from the loft above a DJ sat surrounded by his equipment. The music was loud, the crowd was pleasant, and there was saw dust and hay on the floor.

"This is way better than expensive!" Curtis laughed and guided her to an open table in the corner.

"Little Curty! How are you baby brother?" a tall blonde woman, in a jean mini skirt and cowboy boots came up and hugged Curtis. "Who's your friend?" Curtis shook off his sister and sat down the box.

"Lyn this is Autumn. Autumn, this is my older sister Lyn." he introduced the two.

"It's nice to meet you." Autumn said shaking the girls hand. She was a little shocked to see that Lyn didn't wear a wedding band and Curtis had said he only had one sister.

"Pleasure. Now, you kids have fun. Everything's on the house."

"Thanks, sis, but I can pay." Lyn waved her brother off.

"Go get you and Autumn a couple of drinks, I'll baby sit." Curtis glanced at Autumn who smiled okaying his leaving. The moment he was gone Lyn turned toward Autumn. "So, you know he just turned twenty, right?"

"No, we just met the other day and he asked me to join him here to discuss some stuff." not missing a beat Autumn replied.

"I know my brother, dear. If you hurt him, I'll hurt you." Lyn gave her a big smiled and a pat on the shoulder as she stood up and left. Autumn perched herself on the vacated stool and waited on Curtis to return.

"What's taking so long?" Athena whined. They had all gathered in the living room. It was getting close to ten, and they'd been waiting for a half hour already.

"She'll be here, relax." Sam coaxed from the couch where he sat with his coffee. Athena stood up from her place on the arm of a large chair and started pacing. Dean thought about joining her but instead went for a beer.

"Do you think it worked? Think he handed over the papers no questions asked?" Athena asked.

"Yes, it was his idea." Sam said matter-of-factly. Athena rolled her eyes.

"I know, but it's been almost three hours, she didn't even stay out with Billy-Jack that late without a phone call."

"Your parents really messed you up." Sam joked.

"It wasn't my parents fault, it was the Mortons. They didn't want us gone more than an hour without an update. Completely paranoid." Head lights stopped outside the door and Athena froze. "Is that them?" She skittered to the door and peered out the window. Sure enough there was a truck parked in front of the inn. She could see her sister pulling a box out of the bed and the whole while talking and laughing with the driver. She leaned in the cab and kissed the Curtis before turning towards the house. "She's here." Athena jumped into the nearest seat and pretended to be busy.

"Knock. Knock." Autumn pushed through the door. "I've got presents." Dean sat his beer down on the mantle as he came back in the room and took the box from her.

"What's this?" he asked.

"This is all of his info on our dear house of horror."

"Really? He found this much?" Sam asked staring at the box.

"It has everything," she eased out of her jacket and started up the stairs. "And I'll tell you all about it after I get changed." she went up to her room, and after a few moments the three of them followed. They had to linger in the hall for a couple minutes longer before Autumn opened the door. "Sit the box on the floor." She instructed Dean grabbing the pillows off her bed and tossing them down there too. She flopped down on the ground, garbed in her Eeyore pajamas and opened the box. She pulled out folders and note books passing them around. "The one you have, Athena, has the places of burial for the whole family, plus anyone who has ever died there. Sam, yours has the clippings, and reports on the construction workers that were killed. Dean, you've got the good stuff."

"Thanks." he smirked. Autumn rolled her eyes.

"I mean you have the public records of what happened to the family."

"So, who is it?" Athena asked.

"Personally? I'd say the oldest son, the one that's in the chimney. I mean he's got motive. He was racist, and as for killing his brother that's easy. His brother helped kill him. I can't find a solid motive for all the others."

"Okay, then lets go salt and burn." Sam said looking up from his folder.

"Not tonight. Curtis is headed over to make a run through the house. He told the police he'd run through every night until they figure out who killed those kids." the group exchanged looks waiting on someone to come up with an insanely clever plan to get in and out without being caught by Farmer Curtis. "Tomorrow night he teaches shooting sports to the local kids. He's making an early run through the house, and I might be able to keep him busy afterwards."

"Busy how?" Athena asked eyeing her sister.

"Don't worry about the details. While I'm at the shooting sports thingie, you'll be salting and burning. Then we are out of here by the end of the week."

"What if it isn't the oldest, what if it's the brother that was poisoned?" Dean challenged.

"The tornado that took out the chimney knocked big brother out. So the city had him buried in the family cemetery, in the back yard. The two now have marked graves back there. So if there are any doubts burn them both." Autumn told him. "I really don't see how the younger brother could really have had a reason to kill all those people. It don't add up."

"Okay, so we dig up the guy, salt and burn, while you keep Curtis busy. Why does that sound too easy?" Sam asked.

"Because it is too easy." Athena chimed in looking over the contents of her folder. "Nothing ever works out that easy Autty."

"True, that's why I'm giving you extra time by sticking around and distracting Curtis." Autumn said confidently.

They sat going through the information for a while longer. There wasn't anything to point to anyone other than their two current suspects. So without another idea they agreed to go with Autumn's plan. Sometime after one in the morning they all drifted off to bed. The next day was going to be a busy one.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Athena forced her sister's head straight again and ran the brush back through her hair. Chattering away the whole time. Sam watched from the bed, slightly horrified and amazed at everything Autumn had to endure to keep a guy occupied for them. He thought jokingly of purchasing a little six inch award, but then couldn't decided of what it would say, 'Whore of the Year'? Athena pulled and tugged at her brown almost red locks, caressing them into curls and teasing them into place. She pinched at her sister's cheeks smattering on make-up that he didn't see a reason for. The way he saw it a little lip gloss and pull her hair out of her face and she would be fine, it was personality that mattered. But Curtis wasn't going to be with her long enough to know anything but the physical stuff.

"Athena, that's not a wig." Autumn ground between clenched teeth. Athena turned her sister's head again.

"Shut up and quit complaining. So, Hook man he was linked to the girl's necklace?" Athena ignored her sister's groans and squirming.

"Yea, Dean took it and burned it while Hook man tried to gut me." Athena laughed.

"Why do hunters do their job if they're just going to end up the poor victim to one of the things they hunt? Then if they were any good no one will find out they were a hunter anyway." Sam shrugged.

"Justice, adrenaline rush, revenge, can't live knowing the creatures are out there and that they aren't doing anything about it?" he suggested.

"You think?" Autumn tried to slouch down in her chair but Athena dragged her back up.

"Well, we hunt because of Dad's search for revenge, which has sort of led into our own little reasons through the years, but why do you fight?"

"Freedom." Autumn answered grabbing her sister's hand. "We fight to live freely away from the mainstream, which sister, include the fashion line. So, if I look like an absolute geek, oh well. I went to a barn last night, cool isn't the same out in the middle of nowhere." Sam wasn't sure if she meant they actually fought so they wouldn't have to deal with normality or if Autumn was looking for an escape. Either way Athena broke and let her sister retreat to her own room.

"Did you put your shovels in the Impala?" he asked. Athena sank down on the bed next to him.

"Yea, after breakfast, I did." she yawned. They were all restless. He hated having so much time to think. "I miss the impulse." she mumbled just clear enough for him to understand.

"What?" he knew what she meant but wanted to hear it from someone beside himself.

"Before we paired up with you guys, which I love by the way, everything was spur of the moment impulses. Now everything is planned. We have time to sit." Athena hopped up and pulled a sketch pad out of her book bag sitting on the vanity. She sat herself down on Autumn's vacated chair. "Don't move." she instructed pulling a pencil from her hair.

"So, I'm not the only one who has trouble waiting for the bad thing to happen?"

"Nope." It was a long while before she said anything else she just kept drawing on her paper. "You know it's like sitting in the hospital waiting room waiting on someone who just had some big complicated surgery. Before it was like… riding a horse and going real smooth then the horse panics. You instinctively reign them in and get the situation under control."

"You could quit." he offered.

"No, I couldn't. If I quit I have to go back to Mrs. Morton and the farm. I have to live seeing the articles in papers and getting e-mails from sites, I'm watching, about strange things going on. I have to manage to be normal and take over the family farm and illustrate Autumn's books."

"Would Autty quit with you?" he asked.

"Depends, if you'd let her stick with you guys, then no. Your dad has a few friends who would like to have a tag-a-long on a few of their hunts but maybe just enough to settle her." He sighed and leaned further into the bed.

"So, what's so horrible about your family?"

"Ever see 7th Heaven?" she asked. It was one of Jess' favorite shows so he'd seen it a few times.

"Yea." he answered wondering where she was going with this.

"My family is their opposite."

"You're mobsters?" she laughed.

"No, it just the everything is supposed to be to benefit the family, screw the individual. The family is to work to better the farm. The farm is to be farmed to feed, house, and protect the family. The family is supposed to be thankful for the farm and therefore spend a perfectly good Sunday morning in church."

"Is that really so bad?" he'd wished for a family like that as a child, and still failed to see all its flaws.

"No, not in itself. I love the farm, and church is bearable. The real issue, was the parents. Mrs. Morton had to control everything. I think if she could have made all our hearts beat at the same time she would have. She controlled her son to such a degree he's still dependent on her, that's why he lives next door with his wife and kids. It's sick and she tried to do us the same way."

"Don't worry. I'll be fine. You guys just get busy. Soon as your done stop and see me. Teenie you know the drill." Autumn stood next to her car. Her clothes today were much more relaxed than last night's skirt and revealing top.

"Yea, I know. HQ just called we have to hit the road as soon as possible new case. Bigger case." Athena droned. Autumn nodded.

"You have everything you need?" she was starting to worry more than they were.

"Yes, now go get this over with." Dean almost growled. Autumn snapped at him like a dog.

"Sammy, my dear, I think we may need to send them to separate kennels when we go on vacation." Athena teased. Their elders glared at them.

"Fine. Fine. I'm off. But" Dean cut her off.

"If we need you we'll call." Autumn took another look at them. Their bags were packed in their room just incase they had to get out of here quickly. She'd transferred her salt, and tank of gas to their car to assist with their salt and burn. There was nothing left for her to do so she slid into her car slammed the door making Dean wince. "Easy on the car, babe. Don't want to mess her up." Autumn stuck her tongue out at him as she started the engine. Then pulled away. "We wait half hour then I'm leaving. With you or without." Dean said before heading back into the inn.

"Kids, this is my new friend, Autumn." Curtis introduced her. There were only six or seven kids total. She'd expected more. "Is this going to be all of us he asked?" there were nods and murmurs but no solid answer. "Well then, go gear up, grab a bow, and lets get the party on the road."

The kids obeyed quickly. There was a bucket, with the safety gear, sitting next to a large crate, with the bows laying across the opening. Quivers had been placed in front of round hay bales every four feet, there was twenty feet for a shooting range. Not very big and not much skill needed but it worked. Each kid chose a partner and a station. There were only three bales so it was easy for the kids to break down. Curtis helped the first shooters square their shoulders and showed one little girl the proper way to hold her bow. Autumn watched them thinking about the time John had taught her and Athena archery. On his signal three arrows flew through the sky and except for one made their target, even if they didn't come very close to the bull's eye. She and Curtis both applauded their effort. They had six arrows left to go so Autumn went up to the kid who's arrow had fallen short.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"I'm Joni." the little girl tried to put her arrow in her bow but wasn't doing so well.

"Want some help there?" Joni looked a little nervous but handed over her equipment.

"Don't worry sweet heart I don't bite." Autumn teased. She squared herself off, slid the arrow into place. "Okay watch like this. When you pull the string back always pull it back to the same place, but until you find that place you'll have to test a bit. Autumn eased the string back down and waited Curtis' command then she pulled it back again right to her cheek and let it lose. She waited until the arrow hit the target before moving. "See? Just like that." The kids were all watching her now.

"You made a bull's eye!" Joni clapped excitedly. Autumn looked up she hadn't paid attention to where she'd hit just saw she'd hit and was happy with that.

"I see that." she smiled. "Now, you try Joni." she handed the bow back to Joni, and again on Curtis' signal the girl shot, this time she made it all the way to the target. Just off the bull's eye. "See how much better that works?" she asked. Giggling Joni nodded.

"It's much better." Autumn gave the girl a squeeze before going back to her spot behind the lines and watching. Curtis came to stand next to her.

"How did you do that?" he asked her blowing his whistle for the kids to shoot again.

"Do what?" she looked around to see what she'd done.

"Get Jon to hit the target. We've never gotten her to do that and she's been coming for years." Autumn shrugged.

"I had the same problem. But a," she paused trying to find the right word for John. "A very special person showed me a few tricks." Curtis raised his brow but didn't ask about the 'very special person' she doubted he wanted to know. Even though there wasn't anything particularly embarrassing or nasty about her past with John. He just simply meant a lot to her. He was her Yoda.

"So, maybe you'll be here and help her some more next week?" has asked. Autumn shrugged.

"Doubt it. We're wrapping up here, and should be out soon." he looked like a whipped puppy.

"Oh, so, yea. I need to switch the kids out." he went up to rearrange the kids.

"Why did you bring that dog?" Dean asked. Athena let John off his leash and walked around to the trunk. Sam handed her a shovel and a map of the property.

"We dig them both up, salt, and burn them, then we get out of here." Sam said. But still tucked a gun in the back of his pants.

"You're really paranoid, Sammy." Athena said stepping back and swinging the shovel over her shoulder.

"It's Sam." she rolled her eyes and grabbed a flashlight out of the trunk.

"Whatever you say, your highness. But to me, you'll always be little Sammy." she took off after her dog across the yard. Dean looked after her then to his brother.

"Nothing to say to that, smart ass?" Sam glared at his brother.

"Let's get this over with."

The pair got the rest of their supplies and followed after Athena. She'd already started digging. John laid just beyond the dirt piles at watched them. Every once in a while he'd stand up and stiff the air. They dug up the first brother and were half way through the second one when the dog shot off toward the house barking like mad. Neither of the boys had time to think before Athena had sprung out of the hole and was after the dog.

Back at the Webblers' Autumn froze and looked off toward the haunted house. She heard John barking. She'd know his bark anywhere. Her blood turned to ice and she let go the arrow she was about to shoot and it missed the target, completely over shooting it.

Athena pushed through the back door. It had been opened already and John had just gone in. He was still barking and showing no signs of slowing down. She chased him upstairs and into the master bedroom. The door shut behind her. She spun around and yanked on it. She was trapped. The door wouldn't open. She crossed the room to look out the window. Too high to jump, she'd never get John out it either. John went to the cold spot and started growling. He was practically foaming at the mouth in his attack on the cold spot. No one else was in here, that she could see. That didn't stop her heart from racing. She reached in her pocket and triumphantly pulled out salt packets. She started sprinkling them in front of the door and on the window sill. She might be stuck in the room alone, maybe not. But whatever wasn't going to get out or in.

"John." she was on the floor in front of the door and started crawling over to her dog. "John, baby, shhh. You're scaring me." the dog didn't stop but he eased into her arms. Let her hold him. "Johnny you have to be quiet. Just give me a second to think."

She forced herself up. No weapons, no nothing. She cast about there had to be something in the room that would be useful. Cast Iron! There was a fireplace in the room, there had to be a stoker or something for the fire. She ran to the fireplace but before she got there was slammed against the wall. That's when her new enemy showed itself. A woman in a white nightdress and cap stood on the ground in front of her.

"Intruder." the woman barged.

"Well, I can't deny that." Athena joked.

"Don't patronize me girl. You're a harlot." the fierce conviction in the spirit's voice struck a cord in Athena.

"I'm not a harlot!" Athena argued. There was not pain, but she knew it would come soon enough. She would push too hard and the spirit would push back harder.

"Right! What about that nice William boy?" Athena's heart suddenly burst with pain, in one sentence she'd been forced to relive all the pain of a relationship that had crashed and burned a year six months and twenty two days before.

"Will ran in the middle of a hunt. He left me." she closed her eyes trying to force away the memory.

"But you still love him, and you've got feelings for the boy on the other side of that door." Athena turned her head towards the door.

"Sammy! Sam! Can you hear me!?!" She screamed.

Sam could hear her, but she obviously couldn't hear him. He and Dean had been shouting at her since the door had slammed shut. Dean gave him instructions not to leave the door and to try and find a way in while he went back to the car. It scared the hell out of him to hear the fear in her voice. To be stuck here and not be able to help her.

"Sammy, I need you." he heard her plea again.

"You neeeeeed him?" a woman's voice moaned. "How badly do you need him?" He pounded his fists into the door. No sign of hearing him. He played with the handle again. There had to be a way in. John was going nuts inside.

"John!" he yelled. The dogs barking came closer. He was pressed against the door now, scratching at the floor boards at its base. "John, hush." the dog shut up immediately. Then so did the two voices inside.

"Sammy! You're here. Sammy, it's the mom. She's got me." Dean was barreling up the stairs then.

"Sam move!" The little hand guns they had had wouldn't be enough to blow the door away, quickly. The shot gun Dean now wielded would be. Sam ducked under a window at the end of the hall, completely out of the way. Dean aimed and fired. A huge hole had been blown in the door. "Holy shit!" Dean was already peering through the hole. "Sam, it's a woman." he said turning to his brother.

"It's the mom. We've got to go dig her up." Sam was heading for the stairs. Their shovels were back at the grave they'd been digging. He wasn't wasting time.

"They won't let you kill me." Athena ground out. Her blood was on fire, and her body ached now. It felt like someone was slowly pulling her in all different directions. The boys had blown a hole in the door and then left. She hadn't heard the shot just seen the hole, and Dean's face poking through it.

"They can't stop me." Pain erupted at her joints flowing through her appendages like lava. Athena bit back a scream. She wasn't going to let this woman the joy of seeing her pain. "I didn't let my sons get away with affairs, and I'm not letting you. Didn't your mother ever teach you morals?" a cruel smile played at her near transparent face. "I'm sorry, I forgot. You're an orphan aren't you? Your sister is immoral too. Better pray she don't set foot in here. Sleeping with your brother."

"Billy-Jack was our guardians son. No relation." The spirit laughed.

"Is a husband and wife not related the same as you and that boy?"

"NO!" Athena couldn't keep her voice level.

Autumn made her own phone ring and then told Curtis she had to go that something was wrong with her dog. It wasn't a lie either. Something wasn't right and John was all she knew about being involved in the not rightness. Curtis didn't question her just told her to go and not to worry about him. He was really the last thing on her mind as she burned rubber. The funny thing was, heading into impending doom as she was, the first thing on her mind was 'Dean's going to kill me when he finds out what I just did to those tires.'

Dean's trunk was open and his car was parked in front of the house. She heard her sister yelling upstairs. She couldn't make out words just her sister's voice in pain and fear. That was enough to make Autumn's thoughts scatter. She didn't bother to notice the flashlights bobbing around back where the Winchesters were digging up the body. Her whole attention went to her sister. She burst through the front door and tore upstairs. Next to the master bedroom door was a shot gun, she picked it up and tucked it under her arm. Who or whatever was torturing her sister was about to go to hell.

Athena's head sagged forward, her last sight before the black out was Autumn running in screaming like a mad woman, with a gun tucked into her shoulder. Too much too fast. The spirit didn't have time to register the new presence, Autumn fired. Rock salt smashed through the mother and she disappeared to regroup elsewhere. Athena fell to the floor and Autumn rushed to her side. John licked at the girl's face while her sister searched her for wounds.

Blood soaked her clothes. Autumn pushed away the thought of how angry their mother would be when she found out they were at the hospital instead of Thanksgiving dinner. Instead she sought out the exist for the blood the had pooled on the floor. There were several bruises but no open wounds. Autumn knew the amount of blood was dangerous but not lethal, Athena would be eating a lot of oranges and keeping a low profile, maybe a couple of days bed rest but nothing serious. Nothing that would stop either of the Daemons.

"Sis, you okay?" she asked. Athena didn't respond so she let lose a long string of curses before reigning herself in and speaking calm and soothingly to her sister. Recalling to the girl happier times, and reassuring her that nothing was going to happen to her. Whether Athena heard any of this she didn't know, but she did and it was keeping her from going nuts. She managed to tear her self from her sister long enough to pull John away. "Okay big boy, I need you to go stay with Sammy and Dean. They'll know the spirit is off right now if you show up." The dog licked her face smothering her in slobber before trotting away.

"How sweet." Autumn looked up. The spirit was back. "Too bad they won't know that your last thoughts were about them." The gun she'd brought in sprang into the air and floated before her threateningly. "I've not gotten to use one of these bad boys in a long time. I should like to savor the moment." Autumn couldn't believe this. The spirit was going to monologue. "You're scared and you should be. You've escaped death too many times before. People like you think they can just take away our right to be. It's not right. But worse is your moral standards. Sleeping with your own brother, then toying with that Curtis Webbler while you're so obviously vying for another man's affections. Then there's the fact that you protect those fags. Close friends of yours aren't they? You truly are a sick puppy." Autumn saw the trigger start to pull. Her heart pounded as she tried to find some way out of this. "Of all your sins though you're more worried about your father's sin. Killing himself. Now that sent him straight to hell. Wouldn't you like to ask for forgiveness now? No? Just as well."

Dean dropped the match in to the hole. Sam was ready to soak the bones again already. The two kept looking back at the house. John was at their feet now. Something wasn't right, he would never leave Athena in there like that. He grabbed for his cell to call Autumn…. No answer.

"Damn!" Sam looked at his brother.

"What?" Dean turned his phone toward Sam and pushed up the volume.

"You know me, probably left the cell in the car or something. Leave a message and I'll get back with you as soon as I feel like it. Kisses!" Autumn's voice came out of the speaker followed shortly by a tone.

"Where do you think she is?" Sam asked his brother. Despite the way her message made her sound her cell was never out of her reach.

"With Webbler." Dean started his march toward the house but didn't make it ten paces before he was stopped and pointing. "She's here!" Sam barely made out the form of Autumn's car before Dean was charging the house, Sam and John at his heels."

The shot fired. The whole house froze. Autumn seemed to move in slow motion as she flew to the ground. The spirit looked like a paper cut out on fire. Athena still lay unconscious on the floor. Nobody moved. Nobody thought. A split second pulled everything to a stand still. Then it sped back up. Dean and Sam were in the door. Autumn hit the floor and blood instantly seeped through her shirt onto the floor. John, the big loveable rottweiler sat down and started howling. The boys smacked the ground on their knees check for life in the girls. They weren't going to let them die so easy.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"They'll both be fine." the doctor told them. "Athena is sleeping but Autumn is awake if you'd like to visit with them." He pointed in the direction of Autumn's room and together the three young men made their way to see her.

"What do you think? Will it leave a nice scar?" Autumn asked playing with the bandage around her arm. The doctor was amazed that the bullet had managed to do what so many toy swords had done. It went through between her arm and torso. It took a good deal of skin and bled like crazy but nothing that wouldn't heal.

"Hell of a story for the grandkids." Curtis agreed. He'd heard the shots and then saw Dean's car speed by so he'd gotten in his truck and gone to the house. The place was doused in blood so he'd got straight to the hospital.

"Grandkids?" Autumn asked. She gave a yawn. "I don't think so. Maybe some hot guy I've picked up in bar but no grandkids." she gave Dean a lopsided smile. "Anyway, the important stuff. How's the kid?"

"Athena's fine." Sam told her. "A lot of blood loss, so they filled her back up. She's sleeping now, but woke up on the way to the hospital. She has a good deal of bruising but the doctors aren't concerned with that right now."

"What the hell did you tell them?" Autumn had been trying to figure out what had been said since she had woken up and a cute doctor was stitching her arm shut.

"Just the address." Curtis told her. "Everyone in the county knows that house is weird. But it won't be now?"

"Nah, we took care of all that." Dean confirmed.

"How you feeling?" Curtis asked Autumn. She shrugged.

"You know, I always thought it would hurt being shot, but it's not the being shot part that hurt, it's the moving part." he chuckled.

"I've got to get back." he leaned over and kissed the top of her head.

"Bye." she said softly. Dean followed Curtis out of the room. He had some cash he'd won playing poker in the waiting room and it was burning a hole in his pocket.

"Here." he offered it to Curtis. "For their bills." Curtis had paid everything up front in cash. But no refused a refund.

"Keep it. It's the least I can do. You guys cleaned that spirit out. So no more little kids dying. I know it doesn't directly effect me much but," he paused a moment. "But, I feel partially responsible. Like I should have locked the house up better or something." Dean shook his head.

"No, kids would have gotten in one way or another. There was nothing you could have done. Now take the money." Curtis looked back toward Autumn's room and Dean followed his gaze.

"I'll take the money if you promise me something."

"What?" Dean didn't like the sound of the other man's voice.

"Promise me you'll keep her safe. Don't let anything happen to her." Dean didn't bother pretending to think.

"Done." Curtis took the money from Dean's hand and walked off.

"He coming back?" Autumn asked when the older Winchester came back.

"I don't think so." Dean said slumping down in one of the never comfortable hospital chairs.

"Well, before we leave I'll just have to go say my goodbyes." she resolved. "So when are they going to release us?" she asked.

"Don't know." Sam stood up. "But I'll go find out and check on Teenie too." Dean noticed that Sam had Autumn's hand and Autumn had tears clinging to her lashes.

"Thanks, babe. You're a doll." Autumn said releasing his hand and letting him leave.

Autumn was released that night but didn't leave until she'd made sure Athena had eaten lunch the following day. She only left long enough to pack up their belongings. She was saving her goodbyes until she and Athena could do them together. Athena tried to convince her this wasn't necessary that she really didn't have any thing to say to the boy except thanks. But honestly Autumn was a little nervous about seeing him again. Sam had filled her in on what he'd done after hearing the shots and she was shaken by how quickly he'd found loyalties to her.

Athena was released, two days after being admitted, by grudging doctors. John couldn't have been happier to see her. Athena was still at little less than normal but managed the dogs affections. Dean and Sam had to pack the girls car because Autumn wasn't doing much lifting and Athena had enough trouble on her own two feet without added weight. The innkeepers prepared a large dinner for them and the following morning when they left had all the leftovers boxed up for the road. There was just one thing left and that was saying bye to Curtis Webbler.

No one else got out of their cars when Autumn did. She crossed the gravel drive, and dirt lawn alone. Curtis was on the front porch steps tinkering with some tractor part. He barely looked up when she approached. Autumn sat down next to him picking up a screw driver and twisting it in her hands.

"We're leaving." she said. He nodded. "Sam told me how you rushed to the hospital and paid for our treatment and everything. That was really sweet." He gave her a grunt. "Well, I doubt it's any consolation but I did have fun with you, and will miss your tiny town."

"It's more than you think. Here." he pulled a key from his pocket. "I'm not sure if you're really with Unexplained or not, but if you ever retire and need a place, my door is always open." he put the key in her hand. "If it's not, that'll get you in." she smiled.

"Thanks." she shook his head.

"Don't mention it. Now, go you've got a family waiting on you." she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Then stood up and went back towards her car. Dean was hollering at her to speed things up and she made a face at him. It suddenly hit her to turn around and say something else, but she didn't know what. So she kept going. "Don't forget to buckle up." Curtis called after her.

"Ladies first." Dean said. Grinning from ear to ear she responded.

"Then get your ass on the road, pretty."

**A/N: Thanks for sticking with me through another boring fic. Feedback is ALWAYS welcome! Along with any suggestions or thoughts you may have…. Are thoughts and feedback the same?… Oh well. Incase you didn't notice this fic was more me than Katie. But we'll have the next one up soon and she'll be doing MUCH more writing then, and hopefully keep me from sending Sammy and Athena off to la la land without a word. Did anyone notice how much they just disappeared? Well hope you liked it and lots of love to those of you who were kind enough to read it all.**


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